Acts 2:42-47
42The community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. 43Everyone felt a sense of awe because the apostles were doing many signs and wonders among them.44There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed; they shared all their material possessions in trust.45They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need. 46They were unified as they worshiped at the temple day after day. In homes, they broke bread and shared meals with glad and sincere hearts. 47The new disciples praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people of the city. Day after day the Lord added to their number everyone who was experiencing liberation.[1]
Just what is a spiritual friendship? As I re-read the chapter on spiritual friendship, it reminded me of a couple of things. The first that came to mind was the text today from Acts. In the reading, we have a multitude of believers who are in community together. Day by day, they spend time together and they eat together. The community is a community of believers with sincere hearts. Being this close, doing so much together, you cannot tell me that there was not conversation around who God is, who Jesus is and the Holy Spirit. This community is not one in isolation but through fellowship, they are insolated from the effects of the outside world.
What is Christian fellowship? It is a time of discussion and time of togetherness, by other Christians, centered on Christ. This centering is where the conversations should be. This centering, with fellow Christians is the perfect opportunity to share, to explore one’s spirituality, to question, and expand knowledge of who God is and how we can respond.
It is during this fellowship time that we are protected from the outside world. The darkness of the world tells us that faith, God and spirituality are not and should not be the norm. Often we find that Christian fellowship has started to conform to secular idea and centered upon Christ. I have heard it said, “Fellowship has come to mean a noisy after-session at church with coffee and cookies and a lot of idle chatter about everything on earth but spirit things.” [2] I have been part of this time of fellowship too. I have witnessed it and partaken in it. This is the time to foster spiritual friendship. How many Christian homes know how to converse about Jesus Christ?”[3]
In the book Power Surge, it says, “Spiritual friends pray for and with each other, encourage each other, share insights into Scripture, and help one another reflect on the ways God is present and active in their lives.[4] The second thing I thought of when re-reading the chapter on spiritual friendship, was about the friends I have had, the prayers I have shared and reflections of what God is doing in my life. Had I not had these spiritual friends, I would not be standing here today. Well, maybe I might be better off saying, because of God and my spiritual friendships, despite what I wanted and despite my fight to the contrary of what God wanted, I stand here today.
Fellowship and spiritual friendship is more than just a friendship but it is not less than just a friendship. God is always working in the world and seeing this, through your own eyes and through another’s, spiritual friends, allows us to experience the kingdom of heaven, today, here and now.
Spiritual Friendship enlightens us to see what God is doing in the world.
Where people ignore the common life of the Christian family, they become isolated, and often find it difficult to sustain a living faith. Where people no longer share regularly in ‘the breaking of bread’…, they are failing to raise the flag which says ‘Jesus’ death and resurrection are the centre of everything’ (see 1 Corinthians 11:26). [5]
We can be devoted in our prayers, read the Bible, attend weekly worship and be committed to service to others. All of these marks of discipleship are good, great even. Without Christ at the center and having spiritual friends, we can stray from these marks. Without the spiritual friends, decrement of what God is up to becomes cloudy. Spiritual friendship is crucial to maintaining our sense of direction upon the road of discipleship and seeing what God is up to in the world today.
[1] The Voice, Ecclesia Bible Society, Thomas Nelson, 2012, Acts 2:42-47
[2] Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 322.
[3] Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 322.
[4] Foss, Michael W, Power Surge, Fortress Press , Minneapolis, 174.5 / 313
[5] Tom Wright, Acts for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-12 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2008), 45.